Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter
The UK-based Arrival announced on Friday that entered into a partnership with Enel X — the world’s largest supplier of e-bus solutions outside China operating over 3,200 e-Buses globally — to test the zero-emission battery electric bus in Italy.
The tests will be carried out in Italy, at the Vallelunga circuit, by Enel X on the basis of an analysis matrix developed in-house, to look at all the main features of the Arrival Bus. The success of these tests will be a key building block for Enel to include the Arrival Bus within its portfolio of global electrification solutions.
“The partnership with Arrival is another important step towards achieving our goals of electrifying public transport globally. Public transport authorities face significant challenges in making cities smarter and more sustainable, and by offering our public transport solutions together with our many years of global experience, we want to give solid support to make this a reality,” said Francesco Venturini, CEO of Enel X. “Arrival Buses look very promising. They are a technologically advanced means of transport that, if integrated within our value offer, can potentially provide operators and end users with the best possible customer experience.”
“We are very excited to partner with Enel X and Enel X Way to assist bus operators and cities around the world as they accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, bringing cleaner air to our cities,” said Avinash Rugoobur, President of Arrival. “Our electric bus aims to set new standards in passenger experience while reducing costs for operators. By manufacturing our vehicles in local micro-factories, we are fostering a global green transition that is fair, bringing jobs to local communities, using local suppliers and building vehicles designed for local markets.”
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The partnership will enable Enel X to strengthen its offering to public transport authorities globally, providing a major boost to reach Enel’s target of more than 20,000 electric buses served by 2030.
Enel X’s e-bus solution is modular and customizable to the customer’s specific needs and is offered through different business models that include, among others, leasing options. It includes a wide variety of products and services, including a complete end-to-end turnkey service (“e-Bus as a Service”). The complete turnkey solution can include: comprehensive design support, vehicles, financing options, battery leasing (“Battery as a Service”), customized management system platforms (including smart charging software developed in-house), charging infrastructure solutions provided by Enel X Way, depot construction, renewable energy sources, virtual power plant integration, including demand response schemes and smart mobility services.
Last week, Arrival said that physical type approval testing is now complete for the Van, and the company expects to receive official paperwork over the coming weeks for European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EUWVTA). Start production of the Van in Bicester, UK is expected for the third quarter of 2022 and Charlotte, NC, USA in Q4 2022.
Recently, the company reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2022. Arrival CEO confirmed the total production of 400-600 Vans plus low volume production of Buses in the UK starting in the second half of the year.
Earlier this year, Arrival disclosed that the Arrival Bus has achieved EU certification and received European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EUWVTA). The company successfully completed all required system safety testing to achieve EUWVTA.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter